Lost
by AerinM
Summary: Written for Fictober 2019 & originally posted to tumblr in October. Dragonwatch 3 spoiler warning applies. Warren and Kendra search the beach for someone, and discuss loss while they're at it.


_Fictober 19 day day 30 prompt: "I'm with you, you know that."_

_Fandom: Fablehaven (Dragonwatch)_

_No content warnings apply. Spoiler warning for MOTPI **does** apply, though… this takes place prior to the events of chapter 23. You've been warned!_

* * *

"I can't… Warren, what am I going to do if I can't find Calvin?" Kendra fretted. She held a flashlight in her hand and used it to sweep the area, willing her eyes to spot the nipsie amid sand, twigs, bushes, leaves, trees, rocks, and plenty of other items. She probably didn't _need _the light, since she was able to see in the dark, but she wasn't willing to take any chances. Anything to help find her friend.

"We'll do our best," Warren said, using his own flashlight to search an area adjacent to where Kendra was looking. "From what you've told me, he sounds like a pretty resourceful guy."

"Yes, but he's only maybe two inches tall! What if someone stepped on him? What if he's stuck somewhere? What if he's been captured by someone – or some_thing_ – else? What if he flew out of my pocket and died on impact with the ground?!" She kicked the sand at her feet, leaving a decent indent in the otherwise smooth ground.

He was a little surprised by her somewhat frantic attitude, but he couldn't blame her. She _exuded _stress; it was rolling off of her in fiery torrents.

Warren held up his hands in a sign of peace. "Kendra, really, it's going to be okay. I promise. There's no use getting worked up like this; it won't help anyone."

Kendra snorted. "Are you even looking_ at all?_"

Warren frowned. "What kind of question is _that?_ Of course I'm looking. Kendra, I get that you're upset, but come on. Calvin has gone missing before, right? Why is this such a catastrophe right _now_, when it wasn't before?"

"Because I lose _everything!_" she cried, gesturing wildly with her hands. "First it was Vanessa and the Sphinx. Then it was Gavin. Then Bracken, Seth, Grandma and Grandpa, Agad, and now Calvin…! How long will it be before I lose _you?_" She dissolved into tears, her flashlight pointing uselessly skyward as she succumbed to the mental breakdown she'd been trying to keep at bay for the past few days.

Warren stopped dead in his tracks and pulled Kendra into a tight embrace. "Hey. _Hey_. Shhhh, Kendra – I'm with you, you know that. And now that we're back together again, I'm not going _anywhere_."

"Maybe you should stay away from me," she choked out between sobs. "I'm a bad luck charm."

"You are _not _a bad luck charm," he stated. "You are courageous, honest, strong, and capable of so much more than you even know. You've accomplished more in the past two years than most people accomplish in their _entire lives_, and you've still got plenty of years ahead of you. Kendra, when people see you, they are _awed _by you. Even when they _don't _know that you're fairykind. I know that I've called you a princess in the past, but that title doesn't exactly fit. _You _are a _queen_, and anyone who dares to treat you as less than that will have to deal with me. I'm _so proud of you_."

They stood on the beach while Warren held Kendra close and swayed from side to side, hoping to bring at least some small semblance of comfort to his troubled cousin.

"I miss him, Warren," Kendra cried. "I miss my brother. Losing Bracken was hard enough. Losing Seth is _so much _harder."

"I miss him, too," Warren said. "We'll get him back, Kendra. I'll do everything I can to help bring our little rascal back into the fold."

Despite her tears, she smiled a little. She gave Warren one more tight squeeze and then tried to pull away from him, only to realize that she couldn't because he wouldn't let go.

"I'm not done hugging you," he said. "I've got like 2 months and a bunch of major crises to make up for."

She laughed a little through her sniffles. "We need to find Calvin."

Warren rolled his eyes at her persistence and then pushed her away from him until he held her at arm's length. "Okay. Here's the deal," he began. "We've searched this area pretty thoroughly, and the little guy hasn't made any sign of being here. It's dark, you're clearly exhausted – have you slept _at all_ in recent history? – anyway, you need some rest. I'm going to take you back to the tree house, you're going to ask Tanu for a sleeping potion, and I'll search more for Calvin myself."

"I want to stay with _you_," she protested. "This is a dragon preserve, and you'll be alone. I can't lose you, too."

"I'll bring Vanessa with me or something. We'll look together. I promise not to go by myself." He flung his arm around Kendra's shoulders and turned back toward the direction of the tree house.

"You promise you'll stay out of trouble?"

Warren scoffed. "_Me?_ Get into trouble? When does _that _ever happen?"

Kendra elbowed him in his ribs.

"_Ow_. Yeah, I promise," he said. "We're going treasure hunting tomorrow, after all. I wouldn't want to miss out on that!"

She wrapped her arm around Warren's waist and snuggled into his side while they walked back to camp together. He squeezed her shoulder and held her close as they trudged through the sand, a comfortable silence falling between them while they listened to the sound of the waves crashing against the shore. Kendra started to nod off a little as they drew closer to the tree house, and Warren idly wondered if she would need a sleeping potion from Tanu after all.


End file.
